LCI chairpersons in Kitgum faulted for inflating numbers of face masks beneficiaries

Kitgum, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  LCI Chairpersons in Kitgum District have been faulted for inflating the number of beneficiaries to receive free face masks from the government.

Last week, the Ministry of Health delivered 177,340 face masks to be distributed among the locals in the district to boost the fight against Covid-19. As such, all LCI chairpersons were tasked to submit the numbers of residents in their areas to aid the distribution.

But the Resident District Commissioner William Komakech who also doubles as the Chairperson district Covid-19 task force says the numbers of beneficiaries submitted by LCI Chairpersons are abnormally higher than the projected district population. 

Komakech says in all the more than 600 villages in the district, the LCI’s presented a population of 242,000 yet the district planning department projects the total population at 220,000. He says beneficiaries should be much lower since 20 percent of the projected population are children below five years not mandated to wear face masks.

Richard Ocitti, the LCI Bongo-Laku ward in Tumangu village, Labongo Akwang Sub-county, however, says the numbers provided are not exaggerated but reflects the current population in their villages.

For instance, Ocitti says he registered more than 700 people as beneficiaries for the mask arguing that the numbers are slightly higher because many people have returned to their villages during the COVID-19 lock down.

“When government instituted lock down measures in March this year, several people returned to their villages, these are some of the people who were living outside the district and might have not been captured in the planning population,” He told URN in an interview.

James Oloya Akena, the LCI Chairperson of Pem village in Labongo Akwang Sub County also notes that his area witnessed many new entrants during the COVID-19 lock down. 

Oloya says he registered more than 800 beneficiaries among them many new people who bought land and decided to settle in the community.

Komakech says they will now use the data from the district planning department for distributing the face masks on Thursday in all sub-county headquarters for purpose of transparency and avoiding miss sue of the masks. 

Each household will receive two face masks per person with priorities given to high risks persons, candidates and finalists expected to return to school next week.

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URN